Variable feed for cookers



May 27 1924.

R. THOMPSON VARIABLE FEED FOR COOKERS Filed Sept. 1 1 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet. 1'

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May 27, 1924 1, 131%,459

A. R. THOMPSON VARIABLE FEED FOR cooxrms Filed Sept 11 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet .2

ALBERT R. EHOEMPSON, OF SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR Tb ANDERSON-BARN GROVER MFG. CQ., SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFGIA.

VARIABLE FEED FOR COOKEBS.

Application filed September 11, 1922. Serial No. 587,642.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT R. THOMPSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Jose, in the county of Santa Clara and t State of California, have. invented certain new and useful Improvements invariable Feed for Cookers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to can-feed mecha-- nisms for cookers and other machines for treating canned goods, and is especially intended for association with such treating machines as are provided with a plurality of can-openings at successive points along the can path, by the selective use of which the time of treatment may be vanieg according to the particular requ1rements 0 the goods, such efi'ect being commonly-known in the canning art as a variable cook.

Machines of this type, which for the sake of illustration I shall herein refer to as cookers, comprise a shell and interior elements constituting the can-path through which the cans are advanced from their point of entrance to their point of discharge.

In the shell are successive entrance openings, each communicating with the can-path at a different point along its length, and in order to supply the cans to such of these so openings as may be determined upon, various selective feed mechanismsare employed.

My invention has for its object the provision of a-simple and effective selective or variable feed adapted without interference at with the influence of gravity, to control the cans both in theirtravel and necessary change of direction, and inthe selection of any predetermined entrance opening of the cooker. To this'end my invention consists co in the novel can-feed which I shall now fully describe by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a cooker with my improvedcan teed applied thereto. f l

- Fig. 2 is a plan view oflthe same.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation, enlarged,of a portion of the can feed mechanism sh wing the selectiverfeed chute. v v

Fig. 4 is an enlarged plan view of runway.

Fig. 5 is a transverse section, enlarged, of

a portion of the cooker and the can feed r-' tion of the can conveyer and can tra or vthe fllghts 15 of the conveyor. said rails.

mechanism, and is taken on the line 5-5 of 5 Fig. 6.- Fig. 6 is a sectional plan view taken on theline 6-6 of Fi 5. v

Fig. 7 is a detai ed view of the selective chute locking device.v

Fig. 8 is a detailed elevation of one of ghe cooker openings" with its controlling oor.

1 is a portion of the-shell of a machine for treating cannedLgobds, which for simplicity, I will term a cooker. Within the shell are suitable devices or members constituting the can path through the shell.- These need not be detailed herein as the form no part of my invention, and it wil be, sufiicient to indicate said can path by the numeral 2 in Fig. 5.

In the side of the shell are the entranceopenings 3, Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 5. Thesemay be in any number, located successively and each communicating, by means of its own individual inner gravity chute 4, Figs. 2, 5 and 6, with the can-path, at successive points along said path. Each of the opemngs 3 has a door 3, as shown in Figs. 5, 6' and 8.

To the side of the shell are fixed the lower brackets 5, Fig. 5, from the outer ends of which rise the standards 6. Upper brackets 7 secured to the side of the shell project in the direction of the upper ends of the stand- 8 a'rds 6. p 1

Carried by the lower brackets 5 are the spaced rails 8, and carried by and between the upper brackets 7 and the upper ends of the standards 6 are the spaced rails 9.- W

, -Carried by and underlying the upper rails 9 is a fioor member 10, Figs. 3,- 4 and 5, in which at intervals are. openings 11,., controlled by doors 12, each door being rovided withxa latch 13 for holdingfit s ut.

-A conveye'r comprising side. chains 14,

2, 4 and 5, and spaced cross flights 15, is; mounted upon terminal. and directing sprockets, one of which is shown at 16, in

Figs. 1 and 2, theinitial portion of the conveyer constituting an elevator. as. shown at 16 in Fig. 1, and the remaining portion passing in its upper or advancing run over the upper guide rails 9, and in its lower or return run over thelower guide rails 8, 1

traveling on J Mounted for sliding movement upon the shell entrance openings 3.

lower rails 8' is the selective feed member 17 underlying the floor member 10 of the upper rails. This teed member is a chute arcuate in its length, as shown in Figs. 3, and 6, its head or receiving end lying parallel with its direction of sliding movement, and its foot or delivery end lying at right angles thereto and projecting far enough to lie close to the side of the shell and in passing registry with each of-the It is also inclined downwardly from its head to its foot. The sliding selective member or chute'17 is provided with a latch pin 18, Figs. 3, 5, 6 and 7, adapted to engage notches 19 in one of the lower rails 8, to lock it in its several positions, and it is also provided with a rest 20, Figs. 3 and 6, in position to support the door 3 of the entrance-opening '3, when said door is lifted to expose said opening.

The operation is as follows The cans supplied to the elevator 16' are carried up to the horizontal portion of the conveyer extending along the side of the shell, where they pass onto the floor member 10 and are rolled along on said floor, between the guide rails 8, by the cross flights of the conveyer, as indicated at 21 in Figs. 2 and 5.

Assuming the length of cook required to correspond with the distance between the second entrance opening 3 and the end of the cooker, the door 3 of said second entrance opening 3 will be lifted and supported upon the rest of the selective chute 17 which said chute is adjusted and locked on its rails 8 with its delivery end in registry with the 'exposed opening 3, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and in this position its head or upper end will lie directly below and in registry with the second opening 11 of the floor 10, the door 12 of which has been dropped. The cans will therefore drop through the opening 11 of the door 10, into the head end of the selective chute 17, and, rollin down through the arcuate length of said chute will change their direction of travel through an arc of 90; degrees and will enter the opening 3 and roll through the inner chute 4 into the can path.

The travel of the cans under the influence of gravity is thus not impaired though their direction is under control. If now it be desired to subject the goods to a. longer -time of cook, say, for example, that dependent u on the-use of. the first entrance opening, t e adjustment of the device is as follows :-The second entrance opening 3 is closed by its door opening 11 is also closed. The first entrance opening into the shell is uncovered, the door 0 the first opening in the floor 10 is dropped, and the selectivechute 17 is slid toward the left and lockedin position with its foot of the 3', and the second floor and thence, directed by the arcuate selective chute 17 will pass into the shell through the first entrance opening and thence into the can path at a point closer to its beginning than that at which they would have entered if fed through the second shell opening.

In like manner, the selective chute 17 may be adjusted to use the third entrance opening into the shell for a shorter cook, and so on.

I claim 1. in combination with a shell for treating canned goods said shell having an interior can-path and a plurality of openings in its wall communicating with the can path at successive points in its length, a can runway exterior to said shell and extending parallel with the line of said openings, said runway having door controlled openings in its bottom at intervalsof its length; and a selective chute associated with and underlying said runway, said chute being curved in its length through an arc of ninety degrees and mounted for movement to place itshead in registry with a predetermined opening of the runway and its footin registry with a corresponding opening of the shell.

2. In combination ing canned goods said shell having an interior can-path and a plurality of openings in its wall communicating with the can path at successive points in its length, a can runway exterior to said shell and extending parallel with the line of said openings, said runway having door controlled openings in its bottom at intervals of its length; and a selective chute associated with and underlying said runway, said chute being lengthwise arcuate with its head portion lying in the direction of travel of the cans in the runway, and its foot portion lying at right angles to its head portion and extending to the vicinity of the openin s in the shell, and said chute being mounte for movement lengthwise of the can runway to place its head portion in registry with a redetermined opening of the runway an its foot portion in registry with a corresponding opening of the shell.

3. In combination with a shell for treating canned goods said shell having an interior can-path and a plurality of openings in its wall communicating with the can path at successive points in its length, a rail assembly supported by the wall of the shell and lOO REID

extending parallel with and adjacent the line of openings therein a can-runway carried by said rail assembly and having in its bottom door-controlled openings at inter place its head portion in registry with adpredetermined opening of the runway an neeaeee vals of its length; and a selective chute slidably mounted upon said rail assembly under the can-runway, said chute being arcuate in its length, its head portion lying parallel with the chute and its foot portion at right angles thereto, and adapted to be adjusted to its foot portion in registry with a corresponding opening of the shell,

d. A can-feed mechanism for machines for treating canned goods in which a plurality of openings communicating with the can path at snccessive-points in its length are employed, comprisin a rail assembly supported loy the wall the machine and extending parallel with and adjacent the line of openings therein; a can-runway carried by said rail assemloly and having in its bottom door-controlled o enings at intervals of its length; a selective chute slidably mounted upon said rail assembly under the can-runway, said chute heing arcuate; in its length, itshead portion lying parallel with thechute and its foot portion at right angles thereto, and adapted to be adjusted to place its head portion in registry with a redetermined opening of the runway an its foot portion in registry with a corresponding opening of the machine, and coacting members on said chute and rail assemhl to.

fix the chute in the position to which it is adjusted.

terior can-path and a plurality of openings in its wall communicating with the can path;

at successive points in its length, a rail assembly supported hytlie wall of the shell and extending parallel with and adjacent the line of openings therein; a can-runway carried by said rail assembly and having in said rail assembly to move the cans along the runway; and. a selective chute slidably mounted upon'said rail assembly under the can-runway, said chute being arcuate in its length, its head portion lying parallel with th ehute and its foot portion at right angles thereto; and adapted to be adjusted to place its head portion in registry with a predetermined opening of the runway and its foot portion in registry withja corresponding opening of the shell.

6. can-feed mechanismfor machines for treating canned goods in which a plurality of openings communicating with the can path at successive points its length are employed, comprising ayrail assembly supported by the wall of the' machine and extending parallel with and adjacent the line of openings thereing'a can-runway carried by said rail assembly and having in its bottom door-controlled openin at intervals of its length; a conveyor carried by said rail j termined opening of the runway and its foot 5. In combination with a shell'for treating canned\ goods said shell having an in per ion fin registry with a corresponding opening of the machine, and meeting memhers on said chute and rail assembly to fix the chute in the position to which it is adjusted.

In testimony antenna a. 'rHoMrson.

wlierebf I have signed my" name to this specification. 

